Apparatus for affixing fabric swatches to sample cards

ABSTRACT

Swatches are picked up one-by-one from the top of a stack of swatches of the same size (usually of different color), folded over, and then applied to a paper strip and bonded thereto in the production of sample cards. The pickup is carried out by a pickup head having a pair of elements each carrying an array of pins whose points or tips project slightly (0.03-0.6mm) from the elements. These elements are brought down onto the top swatch, and the points are displaced outwardly to prick into this swatch. Then the pickup head is lifted, taking with it only the topmost swatch.

United States Patent 1191 Rohner 11] 3,827,580 Aug. 6, 1974 APPARATUSFOR AFFIXING FABRIC SWATCHES TO SAMPLE CARDS Hans Rohner, Kuttigen,Switzerland Assignee: Polytex AG, Glattbrugg, Switzerland Filed: Mar.13, 1972 Appl. No.: 234,151

Inventor:

Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 17, 1971 Switzerland 3944/71 us.c1. 2l4/8.5 c, 294/61 1m. 01. 865g 59/02 Field 01 Search 294/61, 107;2l4/8.5 c

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1962 Collin 294/107 X ll/l963Hammond 294/107 Engelmann 294/61 UX 3,402,833 9/1968 Pershing 294/61 XPrimary Examiner-Albert J. Makay Assistant ExaminerGeorge F. AbrahamAttorney, Agent, or FirmKarl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno [5 7] ABSTRACTSwatches are picked up vone-by-one from the top of a stack of swatchesof the same size (usually of different color), folded over, and thenapplied to a paper strip and bonded thereto in the production of samplecards. The pickup is carried out by a pickup head having a pair ofelements each carrying an array of pins whose points or tips projectslightly (0.03-0.6mm) from the elements. These elements are brought downonto the top swatch, and the points are displaced outwardly to prickinto this swatch. Then the pickup head is lifted, taking with it onlythe topmost swatch.

A 3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PAIENIEBMIK w" SHEET 0F 4 lllllllllll i1oq 102 Illlllllll Flg. 8

APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING FABRIC SWATCI-IES TO SAMPLE CARDS FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatusfor picking the top layer off a stack of similar pierceable flat layers.More particularly this invention concerns an apparatus for producingsample cards carrying a plurality of sample swatches.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the preparation of sample cards and booksor the like for the display of fabrics, stacksv of swatches must bepainstakingly glued one-by-one to mounting sheets. It is often importantthat the swatches be folded over and glued so that the person judgingthem may be able to feel the fabric between his fingers. Such samplesheets are difficult to make since thin layers which are permeable toair must be lifted singly from the stack.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an apparatus for the preparation of sample sheetsas described above.

Another object is to provide a method of automatically preparing suchsheets.

Yet another object is the provision of an apparatus that can pick thetop layer only from a stack of similar flat and pierceable layers, andthereafter can transfer this top layer to a mounting sheet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects are attained according to thepresent invention in an apparatus having a pickup head with a lower faceprovided with two arrays of pins having pointed tips. This head can bemoved both vertically and horizontally, and one array of tips can bedisplaced away from the other array. In this manner the face can bebrought down on the upper surface of the upper layer, and the tips movedapart to pierce into this upper layer since these tips areadvantageously downwardly and outwardly directed. Thereafter the entirehead is displaced laterally to deposit this layer on the mounting sheet.

According to another feature of the present invention the points of onearray prick into the top swatch near its center so that on lifting ofthe swatch, an edge portion will hang down. This allows the swatch to belaid on the sheet in a folded condition for formation of a flap.

The arrays of needles or pins can be, according to another feature ofthis invention, needles imbedded as secants (or chords) in cylindricalcollars or cylindrical enlargements formed on a pair of paralleltransversely spaced pivotal rods or shafts. Means is provided to rotatethese rods in opposite senses in order to displace the needles fromupright but downwardly and outwardly directed positions to moreoutwardly directed positions, with a greater angle formed between them,in order to prick them into the top layer. Alternatively it is possibleto provide the needles on oppositely slidable members constituting partof the bottom face of the pickup head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features, andadvantages will become apparent from the following description,reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of the pickup head of the apparatusaccording to the present invention;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5a, and 5b are sections taken along V ment of a pickuphead according to my present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the head of FIG. 8, partly broken away.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION The apparatus according to my present invention hasas shown in FIG. 6 a housing having a lower table-like portion 30 and anupper portion 31. Slidable under the effect of a double-acting pneumaticcylinder 35 and on two parallel and vertically spaced horizontal bars 4mounted on the upper portion 31 is the pickup head 1. Below and parallelto these two bars 4 is a table formed of three elements 32, 36, and 37,on which the sample card is made.

More specifically, FIGS. 1-5b show how the head 1 is carried on a slider5 fitted to the tie bars 4 and having a horizontal support plate 6braced by webs 7. Below this plate 6 there is provided a verticallyreciprocal plate assembly 8 carried on the lower ends of a pair ofvertical rods 10 which pass up through the plate 6 and through verticalguide sleeves 11 unitary therewith. A coil compression spring 12 isseated between an upper end 11a and the plate 6 to urge the assembly 8upwardly. A vertically oriented pneumatic cylinder 9 is mounted on theslide plate 6 and has a piston rod 9a whose lower end is axiallyconnected to an adjustment sleeve 9b screwed into the plate 8.

The pickup plate 8 is formed in two parts: a flat plate 8a and a bar 8bformed with two notches 8c and 8d attached thereto and receiving pickuprods 2 and 3, re spectively. Each pickup rod 2, 3 is in the form of arod 20 formed with circumferential grooves 21 setting off collars 22. Aweb 8' formed between the notches 8c and 8d defines a face 8e with thelower surface of the plate 8a, this planar face 8e being tangent to thecollars 22. Each rod 20 is received at one end in a notch 27 formed inan end 8f of the respective groove or pocket or 8d formed in the bar 8b.This same end of the rod 20 is provided with a knurled handle 26.

A ring 29 slidable on the rod 20 and urged toward the handle 26 by aspring 28 grips the edge 8f of the bar 8b at this end. Similarly theother end of the rod 20 is formed with a cylindrical end 24 providedwith an axial bore 240 receiving an end 24b of a drive rod 13a having asimilarly cylindrical end 13b formed with a projection 25a engaging in agroove 25 in the end 24. Thus the two ends 24 and 13b constitute twojaws of a clutch, so that a pull on the handle 20 away from the end 13bwill disengage them and allow the bar 20 to be removed by dropping itdown out of the notch 27. In this manner,

the needle arrays can be replaced or interchanged with others.

FIGS. 5a and 5b show how the collars 22 are formed with notches 22a inwhich the upper ends of needles or pins 23 are exposed. These needles 23lie tangent to an axial projection of the central regions 21, and havepoints 23a projecting from the enlargements 22 by a distance of between0.03 and 0.6 millimeters, depending on the thickness of swatches to bepicked up. The needles 23 of the rod 2 and 3 point downwardly andslightly outwardly while lying along secants of the cylindrical portions22 in which they are received.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show how each shaft 13a which rotationally coupled to ashaft 20 is provided with a gear wheel 13. These wheels 13 mesh and oneof the shafts 13a is provided with an arm which is engaged by the pistonrod 14a of a pneumatic cylinder 14 mounted on the plate assembly 8. Inaddition a spring 16 is provided tensioned between this arm 15 and thesupport 14b for the pneumatic cylinder 14 with its end connected to aneyebolt 16a for adjustment of the spring tension. Pressurization of thecylinder 14 will push the arm 15 against the force of spring 16 andcounterrotate the two gears 13 and rods 2 and 3 to bring the points 23aof the needles 23 closer to each other.

The pickup head 1 also includes, as seen in FIG. 1, a small pneumaticcylinder 17 having a piston rod 17a which is normally biased by a spring(not shown) back into the cylinder 17, and which carries a fork 18having a vertical width equal to a distance x. This fork is engageablearound the piston rod 9a in order to prevent full retraction of theplate assembly 8 on relaxation of the cylinder 9. I FIG. 6 also showshow the apparatus 1 has a roll 41 carrying a supply of paper 42 in theform of a band. This paper strip 42 is passed around a roller 38 and outover the portions 36 and 37 of the transport and working table. Twopairs of rollers 40 grip the edges of the paper strip 42 downstream ofthe roller 38, and a roller 39 engages against the roller 38 to rotatethis roller 38 and pull the paper strip 42 off the roll 41.

A gluing device 43 is provided adjacent the roller 38 to apply anadhesiveto the tape 43 as it passes over the roller 38. This device 43is electromagnetically operated by means of switches 51 mounted abovethe tie bars 4 and engageable by ridges 50 (FIG. 1) on the webs 7 of thehead 1.

The swatches M (FIG. 7) are held in a stack in a magazine 34 directlybelow the unit 1 in the FIG. 6 position. A vertically displaceable ram44 controllable by a handwheel 52 keeps the uppermost swatch M levelwith the top of this magazine 33. FIG. 7 also shows how the table 32 hada leading, upstream edge 33 which lies substantially in line with thedownstream edge of the swatches and which serves to fold over theswatches.

A controller 54 is connected to all the various pneumatic cylinders, tothe glue applier 43, to the drive motor 56 for the rollers 39 and 40, tothe cylinder 55 controlling the ram 44 and to cylinder 35 thathorizontally displaces the head 1. This controller is programmable andcan operate the apparatus as follows:

Assuming the apparatus to be in the position shown in FIG. 6 thecylinder 9 is first pressurized to lower the pickup rods 2 and 3 fromlevel A to level B, so that face 8e lies against the top swatch M Beforecontact is made in this manner the cylinder 14 is actuated to bring thepoints 23a carried by the rods 2 and 3 together. As

soon as the rods 2 and 3 contact the top swatch M, the cylinder 14 isrelaxed so that the spring 16' counterrotates the rods and moves thepoints 23a apart. This causes the points to prick into the topmost layerM, only, near the center of this swatch.

- The cylinder 9 is thereafter relaxed, but prior thereto the cylinder17 is pressurized to bring the fork in between the cylinder 9 and theadjustment nut 9b. This causes the springs to withdraw the rods 2 and 3upwardly, carrying the swatch M, by its middle so that it hangs down onboth sides, to a level C spaced below the level A by the distance x.

The level C is slightly above the level D of the table 32, 36, 37. Oncethis level C is attained the pneumatic cylinder 35 is pressurized toadvance the pickup head 1 to the left as seen in FIG. 6. During thisadvance the bumps 50 engage the switches 51 to actuate the glue applyingdevice 43 to lay a strip of adhesive on the band 42. As best seen inFIG. 7, since the level C is so close to the table 32, 36, 37, theswatch M, will be folded over by edge 33 and will remain folded over asit is displaced horizontally.

Finally when the head 1 reaches the end of its travel, downstream of theroller 38 and upstream of the rollers 40, the cylinder 9 and thecylinder 14 are pressurized to apply the folded-over swatch M to theadhesivecovered tape 42. The web 8 serves to ensure a good contact ofthe swatch M on the adhesive. Thereafter the cylinders 17 and 9 arerelaxed to allow the head 1 to draw back up to the level A, leaving theswatch M behind. Then the cylinder 14 is relaxed and the cylinder 35actuated to withdraw the entire head 1 back to the starting position.

The rollers 40 and 39 are driven synchronously and intermittently toadvance the tape 42 in steps. Similarly the electromagneticglue-applying device 43 is operated intermittently to apply strips ofglue to the tape 42. The machine may be equipped with a counter to leavean unglued strip of length y periodically between swatches. Thisrequires synchronization of the gluer 43 and the drive 56 since thegluer customarily applies glue four strips ahead of the strip on which aswatch is being applied.

It is also possible to provide the stretch 36 with heating means 53inthe form of a resistance element for partially melting a heat-sensitiveglue on a tape, or for partially fusing a tape made of, for instance,thermoplastic synthetic resin so that the gluing means 43 can bedispensed with. In such an embodiment the bond between the swatch andthe glue is made possible by heat.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternative head 1 according to the presentinvention. This head 1 has a square bottom plate 103 formed on twoopposite edges with a row of notches 104 in which are received teeth 101of a pair of slidable elements 100. Each tooth 101 is provided with adownwardly and outwardly directed needle 102 whose point protrudesslightly from a planar surface 109 formed by the teeth 101 and plate103.

Each element is provided on its upper surface with a pair of parallelridges l 10 into which engages the lower end of a two-armed lever 107pivoted on a support 106 on the plate 103. The levers 107 have upperends pulled together by a tension spring 109, and deflectable away fromeach other by a pneumatic cylinder 108 which is the functionalequivalent of the cylinder 14 of FIGS. 1-7. Expansion of the cylinder108 will pivot the levers 107 and pull the two elements 100 towards eachother, thereby bringing the needles 102 closer together.

This head 1 can be used in the place of the head 1, with the adjustmentsleeve 9b screwed into the nut 111 on its top. Such an embodiment isuseful in making sample cards wherein the swatches are not folded, butare laid flat on the mounting sheet. To this end the device is arrangedby means of limit switches to drop down with each row of needles 102engaging immediately adjacent the edge of the top swatch. The sameeffect can be achieved by spacing the pickup rods 2 and 3 apart by adistance equal to slightly less than the swatch width.

It should be noted that the above-described apparatus is ideally poweredby electricity and compressed air. Limit switches controllingelectromagnetically operable valves can be placed to control all of thevarious movements of the various cylinders and other devices.

The swatch-covered tape so produced may be cut up into individual sheetsby a pinking device for mounting of these sheets in a binder or thelike. The magazine is, of course, loaded with a stack of differentswatches and the extent that the needles project is arranged to allowthe thinnest swatch to be picked up without the needles pricking intothe swatch underneath.

One such machine in operation can take a paper mounting strip 270millimeters wide and can mount folded-over swatches having an unfoldedlength as short as 30 millimeters and as long as 120 millimeters on thisstrip at a rate of between 800 and 1,000 swatches per hour, or about1,100 sample strips of four colors per hour.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for picking up a top layer from a stack of pierceableflat layers, said apparatus comprismg:

pickup head formed with a support in the form of a horizontally plate,and a pair of flat members lying against said plate and shiftablehorizontally thereon, said flat members each being formed with amultiplicity of downwardly turned fingers, said pickup head overlyingthe upper surface of the top layer of said stack;

respective arrays of pins on said members and including a respective pinprojecting downwardly from each of said fingers, the pins of each arraybeing turned outwardly away from the pins of the other array;

means for vertically displacing said head toward and away from saidupper surface; and

means for linearly shifting said members apart and together therebypiercing said points through said upper surface and thereafterwithdrawing said points from said top layer and releasing same.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said flat members areprovided with longitudinally extending parallel slots, said apparatusfurther comprising a pair of levers each having one arm received in arespective one of said slots and being fulcrumed at a mid point, andspring means engaging another arm of each lever for urging said flatmembers apart.

3. The apparatus defined in' claim 2, further comprising means betweencorresponding arms of said levers and actuatable for displacing saidflat members together.

1. An apparatus for picking up a top layer from a stack of pierceableflat layers, said apparatus comprising: pickup head formed with asupport in the form of a horizontally plate, and a pair of flat memberslying against said plate and shiftable horizontally thereon, said flatmembers each being formed with a multiplicity of downwardly turnedfingers, said pickup head overlying the upper surface of the top layerof said stack; respective arrays of pins on said members and including arespective pin projecting downwardly from each of said fingers, the pinsof each array being turned outwardly away from the pins of the otherarray; means for vertically displacing said head toward and away fromsaid upper surface; and means for linearly shifting said members apartand together thereby piercing said points through said upper surface andthereafter withdrawing said points from said top layer and releasingsame.
 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said flat members areprovided with longitudinally extending parallel slots, said apparatusfurther comprising a pair of levers each having one arm received in arespective one of said slots and being fulcrumed at a mid point, andspring means engaging another arm of each lever for urging said flatmembers apart.
 3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, further comprisingmeans between corresponding arms of said levers and actuatable fordisplacing said flat members together.